Another Tractor-Trailer Caused Fatality

Probably the last thing on Frank Everette Reid’s mind when he woke up on June 25, 2012 was that he was going to die that day in a horrific traffic accident caused by a tractor-trailer that failed to stop at a red light. Yet, that’s exactly what happened according to dailyridge.com.

Driver Fatigue?

A 2002 Freightliner semi truck driven by Johnny Jose Fernandez Santos of Orlando, Florida, failed to stop at a red light and rear-ended Mr. Everett’s Jeep Wrangler, which in turn rear-ended a Nissan Altima driven by Andrew Jimenez of Kissimmee, Florida. Both smaller passenger vehicles were pushed under a 2008 Freightliner semi tractor-trailer driven by Charles Earl Reberry of Vally Falls, Kansas. The magnitude of the impact was so great that it caused Mr. Reberry’s eighteen-wheeler to rear end another large commercial truck that was stopped in front of it, a Peterbuilt Semi Tractor-trailer driven by Luton Anthony McKenzie of Winter Haven, Florida.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding this terrible accident is under way. Yet, given our many years of experience dealing with traffic accidents involving these large rigs, we cannot help but wonder whether driver fatigue played a role here. We have often seen how tractor-trailer drivers are propelled by greed to drive far more hours that they should until they are so fatigued that an accident is unavoidable. Similarly, we’ve often found that trucking companies are the ones setting delivery schedules that cannot be met unless the truckers break the rules, a fact that in turn creates the circumstances that prompt the drivers’ greed.

Trucks Are Larger Than Ever

Moreover, given the increasingly larger size of these trucks, the accidents they cause keep getting deadlier. The average length of a tractor-trailer in the sixties was about 40 feet, today they can be as long as 57 to 59 feet long. These trucks keep getting larger because there is a demand for larger trucks from trucking and shipping companies. The more merchandise they can move per truck, the larger their profit margin per trip. Consequently, as long as technology allows the companies that manufacture these rigs to make them larger, the larger they will be built.

Unfortunately, despite the technological safety advances of the average family car (safety cages, etc.), our smaller everyday vehicles do not stand a chance in a collision with one of these behemoths. While the drivers of the three tractor-trailers did not suffer any injuries, the driver of the Nissan Altima, Andrew Jimenez, and his two juvenile passengers had to be transported with minor injuries to Arnold Palmer Hospital. And, as stated before, Mr. Everett died at the scene.The Lawyers at Greenberg Stone and Urbano Can Help

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident with a commercial truck, you should immediately contact a law firm experienced in handling these cases. With more than 67 years of combined professional experience handling truck accident cases, the lawyers at Greenberg Stone and Urbano, have seen how trucking companies overload their trucks, load them incorrectly and/or force their truckers to drive longer hours, all in the name of profit.

Throughout the years, the Miami Dade County Truck Accidents Law Offices of Greenberg Stone and Urbano have represented many clients involved in traffic fatalities, traumatic brain injuries and serious personal injuries. We recently represented a young lady that crashed her Honda Civic into the side of a tractor-trailer that made an improper U-turn in front of her on Okeechobee Road. The victim’s car was destroyed and she had to be cut out of the vehicle by rescue personnel. The young lady suffered multiple catastrophic injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. For more details on this and other commercial truck accident cases handled by our firm over the years, please visit the Notable Cases section of our website.

Please note that our practice has been extended with a new satellite office in Aventura to better serve clients that reside in Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Hallandale Beach, Dania & Dania Beach, Miramar, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Aventura, Miami Beach, Surfside, Sunny Isles and Miami Gardens. Visit our website to learn more about our firm and contact us today for a free consultation.

Greenberg, Stone & Urbano

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Miami, FL33176

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Naples, FL34108

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